Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to portable communication devices, and more particularly relate to a holder for holding a portable communication device for ease of use of the portable communication device.
Mobile phones, such as smartphones, are ubiquitously used in a variety of environments for communication. Numerous environments in which mobile phones are used require essentially hands free operation of the mobile phones for safe use. One environment in which hands free use of mobile phones is increasing is the automobile environment in which a driver of an automobile may be required to operate the automobile with essentially minimal handling of the mobile phone while driving. Numerous governments have legislation requiring hands free use of mobile phones while driving automobiles, and drivers have generally become aware that essentially hands free use of mobile phones while driving improves safe driving.
Various devices provide a limited solution for hands free use of mobile phones while driving. Some of the devices that provide for hands free use of mobiles phones while driving include: i) wired headsets that include microphones and relatively small speakers (e.g., transducers) that fit into or onto a user's ear; ii) wireless headsets, such as Bluetooth devices; iii) a hands-free wireless speakerphone, such as a Bluetooth device that mounts either on the dashboard or the sun visor; iv) a hands-free factory-installed Bluetooth speakerphone device; and v) a hands-free kit designed to dock a mobile phone where the hands-free kit provides a relatively large speaker and a directional microphone.
Each of these devices has specific limitations in providing its intended function. For example, wired headsets are cumbersome to handle. A wired headset includes a headset plug that needs to be plugged into a jack of a mobile phone, and includes an earpiece that needs to be positioned onto a user's ear. Wireless headsets similarly include an earpiece that needs to be positioned onto a user's ear, and have to be charged for use. Trying to put an ear piece onto one's ear while driving and trying to answer a call is difficult for many people and can therefore be very distracting. Further, making sure a wireless headset is charged for use is difficult for many users. Speakerphone devices often have microphone sensors that are placed relatively far (e.g., 30 centimeters or more) from a user's mouth. Considering an automobile's noisy environment, there is typically a relatively large amount of noise that is picked up by the microphones of mobile phones. Moreover, with a mobile phone docked in a relatively open space in an automobile, such as on a dash board, sound reaching a microphone of a mobile phone may be distorted from reflections inside the automobile.
Also, sound emitted from a mobile phone in a relatively open space of an automobile may be attenuated from being distorted from multiple reflections inside the automobile making the sound difficult to understand. More specifically, a known problem with mobile phones is that the loudspeakers are generally weak. The space available in a mobile phone for a loudspeaker's transducer is relatively small so the loudspeaker's transducer is neither powerful nor efficient. In an automobile, the sound output of typical mobile phones is relatively weak compared to the background noise.
Some devices have been developed for focusing and aiming sound emitted from a mobile phone so that the sounds are perceived as being played louder. Some devices for playing “louder” sounds from a mobile phone have an acoustic horn where the acoustic horn focuses and aims the sound at a listener thereby limiting dispersion and distortion of the sound before the sound reaches the listener. Acoustic horns are well known devices that have been used since the invention of the phonograph for playing sounds louder. An acoustic horn plays a sound louder by improving the impedance mismatch between a sound source, such as a transducer, and the air. Since the loudspeaker of a mobile phone has a small diaphragm, a relatively good acoustic impedance match is achieved by attaching an acoustic horn to a port of the mobile phone's loudspeaker. The result of attaching an acoustic horn to a loudspeaker in generally improved acoustic efficiency with a small horn “amplifying” high frequencies and a large horn “amplifying” low frequencies. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/951,561, of Schon, describes a mobile phone holder that includes a forward-directed acoustic horn to enhance the sound emitted from a loudspeaker port of a mobile phone. The forward-directed acoustic horn of Schon primarily directs sound forward from Schon's mobile phone holder, which provides beneficial sound direction for a listener positioned with Schon's mobile phone holder facing the listener.
Additional problems exists with using mobile phones while driving, such as diverting one's eyes to the mobile phone to operate the mobile phone's buttons. Many mobile phones, such as smart phones, have very few hard buttons that a user may use for tactilely guiding the user's fingers to the hard buttons without having to look at the hard button. A hard button is a traditional button, such as a mechanical button, an electromechanical button, or the like. In contrast, many mobile phones only have soft buttons that do not provide any tactile guidance for locating the soft buttons and generally requiring being looked at to locate the soft buttons symbol. A soft button is a button displayed on a touch screen and may be activated by touch. One example of a soft button is a mute control soft button that may be displayed on the touch screen of a smartphone where the mute control soft button may be touched by a user to mute the microphone of the smartphone.
Therefore, an impetus exists for creating new devices for mobile phone use in automobiles where the new devices aid users in hands-free operation of mobile phones, provide for relatively clear sound emission, and provide for relatively undistorted sound detection of a user's speech.